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Mr Clarkson is said to have been in favour of the move, not least because he lives in nearby Chipping Norton.

Anne Backhouse was among those who opposed the application on environmental grounds.

"We should be cutting down on polluting exhaust fumes rather than increasing them," she said.

Mike Breakell, a councillor for West Oxfordshire, said of the proposal: "When it comes down to it we have got to ask 'what does it do for the local community?'

"I'm not sure it does very much other than make them cross."

Andy Wilman, the executive producer of Top Gear, sought to play down the decision, saying: "We were interested in a move to Enstone. After seven series we wanted to give the show a face lift and the move would have been a part of that. But we are happy to stay where we are."

However, inquiries by The Daily Telegraph revealed that may not be possible.

The series, which features a mix of outdoor testing and indoor discussion, is currently filmed at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, where there have also been concerns about noise.

The programme is recorded on a Wednesday and transmitted the following Sunday, with a new series due to start filming in May.

Top Gear has been granted temporary planning consent for its activities, but this expires on April 30.

Presumably because it was expecting to move to Oxfordshire, the BBC has not entered into negotiations with the local planning authority, Waverley council.

Jim Anderson, the council's head of development control, said: "There has been no application for an extension of existing consent. As that process takes about eight weeks, time is getting very tight. And there is no guarantee that permission will be granted."

There are further complications.

The presence of Top Gear at Dunsfold has led to several other "unwelcome" performance car activities starting up at the airfield. Following complaints, Waverley council has imposed a noise abatement notice on the site.

Mr Anderson said that although it did not affect Top Gear's current planning consent, it would be taken into account when considering a renewal.

Dunsfold aerodrome was operated until recently by British Aerospace. It was sold to Dunsfold Park Ltd which this week unveiled plans to turn the former Second World War airfield into "Britain's most sustainable village" by building more than 2,500 homes.

Jim McAllister, the company's chief executive, said: "We would normally have expected to have been in negotiation with Top Gear by now if they want to film the next series here. But we have not heard from them and they are cutting it a bit fine.

"In any event they will have to move in the next three years because we will be moving away from airfield-related activities as we progress our plans to build on the site."

When Mr Wilman was asked to comment on these issues he declined, saying it raised matters that were beyond his authority to express an opinion on.

Top Gear may still relocate to Enstone, but not in time for the next series. Warwick Robinson, the chairman of West Oxfordshire council's development control committee, said that the proposals rejected last week were a scaling down of an earlier application that had been rejected and has now gone to appeal.

"A company called the Advanced Driving Academy wants to create a circuit at Enstone where drivers of high-performance cars can test their skills. As part of the proposal it was offering facilities to Top Gear," he said.

"The proposal has met with fierce opposition from local people. But I do not think that will be the end of it."